“A lot of your songs are visceral. They paint a picture of life in a very realistic kind of way which, in my opinion, isn’t often found in other music.”

  “Right, right. I try to stay as true to the reality of the world as I see it as I can, and that includes the good, the bad, the muddled, the weird, and the random. Life is just kind of a mixed bag of jellybeans and you never know what flavor you’re going to get next.”

  “Well, I do look forward to hearing this new song of yours, but before we get to that one, will you sing Now’s the Time?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Sarah stood up from the small red chair and moved over to the guitar stand and microphone. She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and closed her eyes, counting to herself. This was where she could excel. While interviews were not her passion, here she would be amazing. She could do this. Letting out the breath, Sarah strummed the guitar. Music and words flowed from her, rising to a high before going to a low and then back up again. She was hyper-focused on the music, ignoring the audience, ignoring the cameras, thinking only about her guitar and the notes she was singing.

  When she finished, she set the guitar down. They went to a commercial break, and she sat back down across from Carrie. They chatted briefly before they were called back to the camera and went live again.

  “That was a beautiful song. I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to it, but every time I’m reminded of how fragile life is and how we’re all walking on this journey together.”

  Sarah nodded. “Yeah, I had hoped when we decided to record it for this album that was the impact it would make.”

  “You’re on tour right now.”

  “We just started our new tour. Our first concert was outside of Seattle and then Portland, and we’ve been down here the last two nights.”

  “Where do you go next?”

  “Uh...I think Phoenix next. Arizona, I’m coming for you.”

  “I can’t imagine how hard it is to balance life and everything when you’re on tour. Does this song really help you deal with that in any way?”

  Sarah’s lips parted and she closed them sharply. Her initial response probably wouldn’t have been the best answer, but she could weave in variants of it if she wanted. “It is hard. Like I said before, I think it’s hard for anyone, but having a job that takes me away from home for months at a time is really hard. I miss things like my nieces’ birthdays, best friends’ weddings, all that stuff. My family are really understanding, though. They are truly beyond supportive of me and my career. It’s amazing what they’ve done for me over the years. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

  “It sounds like you have a wonderful family.”

  “Yeah, I do.” Sarah wrinkled her nose. “My twin sister still gets annoyed when I miss our birthday, but she’ll live. We shared them all growing up and she hated it, you’d think she’d be happy to have her own day since she begged for it the first twenty years of our life.”

  Carrie laughed appropriately. “I didn’t know you had a twin sister.”

  “But not identical, promise. So don’t try looking for my doppelganger anywhere.”

  Smiling again, Carrie glanced at her notes. “You told me earlier that you were going to sing a new song for us.”

  “I wrote this song just a couple months ago, actually, but I performed it last night for the first time and thought I’d share it here as well.”

  “Well, let’s hear it then.”

  Once more Sarah stood up and walked across the stage to the guitar and microphone. She wiped her palms on her jeans and let out a slow breath. She bobbed her head to the beat no one else could hear as the song she had written at Eli’s came to life for everyone watching.

  When she finished the song, her nerves worked overtime, and she couldn’t quite figure out why. As they cut for commercial, Sarah took some deep breaths. Her handler came over with water and made her drink half of it before he led her to the chair and sat her back down. Eli wiped the palms of her hands against her jeans, surprised they were still sweaty. She only had a few more seconds to get a handle on herself, and she managed to pull the strings together enough to be presentable.

  “That song, wow. Sadie, that song was amazing.”

  “Thank you.” Heat rushed to her cheeks. “Really, thank you. I find it so hard to sing some songs for other people until I’ve done them about three million times.”

  “Why is that?”

  “They’re so emotional for me. Every song is important, every lyric has so much meaning behind it. And until I work through my own life around that song, it’s very hard to sing it for other people, so thank you for being the guinea pig on this one.”

  “No, thank you. It was amazing. What inspired it?”

  Sarah paused. She was about to talk about Buddy. She had planned her speech about him, figured out exactly what she was going to say, how she’d fed him and taken care of him, but she stopped. Her voice left her. Her face felt clammy again, but she pushed through it, and gave a small smile.

  “When I first wrote this song, I thought it was about a cow.”

  “A cow?”

  “Yeah. I took a vacation to this small B&B called Indigo, and it’s amazing, really, if anyone gets a chance to go there, they need to go. But I went to this B&B, which is also on a working ranch, and I was there in the middle of calving season. Long story short, there was a calf who was born and needed to be bottle fed, and gosh, I fell head over heels in love with him. I named him Buddy.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Dead serious.” Sarah laughed. “I know it sounds like a joke. I promise you, it’s not. When I started writing this song, I thought it was about this cow, but really, it’s not. It is about finding love in odd and strange places, usually when we least expect it. How love is playful, fun, but also a little scary.”

  Carrie’s lips parted, and she had a sweet smile. “I...I in some ways hesitate to ask this, but is there more to that story?”

  “Probably.” Sarah blushed. “There is more to the story, but I think you’ll have to wait for it to finish being written before I share it.”

  “No doubt.” Carrie grinned. “And there you have it, folks, what I assume will be one of Sadie Bade’s newest hits come her next album.”

  Sarah tuned out the rest of what Carrie said as she finished up explaining where to find out more on the tour and where to get Sarah’s music. As soon as they were off air, Sarah leaned forward and took Carrie’s hand. “Thank you again for having me here today.”

  “Any time. It’s an honor to meet you finally. I’ve watched your career for years.”

  “Have you now?”

  “Yes, and I really hope this story gets written how you want it to.”

  “Me too.” Sarah gave her a quick smile before standing to collect her guitar. She had basically just outed Eli on national television along with their relationship, and she really hoped Eli wouldn’t be offended or upset.

  When she got to the green room, she grabbed her phone and checked her messages. Her stomach sunk when she saw a text from Eli. Taking a breather, she opened it up, laughing when she saw a picture of Buddy with his tongue right up his nose. The message that followed stole the breath from her lungs.

  “Beautiful song. Should probably finish it. You know where the key to the house is.”

  Tears welled up into Sarah’s eyes, and she fell into the chair at a loss for words. She wanted to call Eli immediately, wanted to make the plans, change dates, run away to the middle of nowhere once again, but she couldn’t. She had responsibilities, she had a life, a career she had to think about. She wasn’t even sure how to respond.

  Letting out a sigh, she typed the only word that came to mind. “Soon.”

  “When?”

  “Not soon enough.” Sarah jumped off the chair, ready to figure out when she could see Eli next.

  Chapter 19

  The plane seriously could not have gone any slower. Sarah knew it was stupid, but she could not stop bouncing from all the energy flowing through her body. She needed to be there already. It took her far too long to get the rental car, but at least this time, she didn’t get lost on the drive up.

  When Sarah pulled up to the house, she was thankful to see both of Eli’s trucks parked at the house or the barn. The last text she’d gotten from her had told her what she needed to know. She’d be welcome any time, and as she’d struggled to find time to make it happen, she’d seen the golden opportunity of forty-eight hours and grabbed it. If only there were more options of flights into the tiny airport an hour and a half from Eli’s house.

  She’d left her guitar. It had been a cruel decision to make, but music was not her main goal. Grabbing her small carry-on bag, Sarah shut the door to the car and stalked straight up to the front door of the house. Walking right in, she drew in a deep breath and glanced around, hoping to catch sight of Eli nearby but knowing she was most likely either downstairs or in the barn.

  “Eli!” Sarah called.

  She started toward the kitchen and stopped short when she saw a rustling movement in the den. Furrowing her brow, she changed direction and walked that way. She stopped short at the middle-aged couple who stared back her, somewhat frightened. The teenager who looked desperately bored on the chair with a phone in her hand glanced up and her face lit up.

  “Oh my God!”

  “Shit,” Sarah muttered. Louder so they could hear her, she said, “Is Eli around?”

  “Are you Sadie Bade?”

  She really didn’t want to answer that question. She only had thirty-four hours before she had to be back on the road to the airport, and she wanted all thirty-four hours to be spent with Eli even though she knew that was unlikely. “Yes. Is Eli around?”

  “No freakin’ way!”

  “Sar…Sadie?” Eli’s voice was a welcome interruption.

  Sarah spun around, a wide smile on her face as her gaze locked on Eli’s shocked expression. “Sorry to just barge in.”

  “Can I get your autograph?”

  Sarah turned over her shoulder. “Kid, I will give you whatever you want. Just give me an hour. Trust me, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon unless Eli has something to say about that.”

  “I…I don’t.”

  “Good.”

  Sarah grabbed Eli’s hand and dragged her toward the kitchen and down into the basement, making sure to shut and lock the door upstairs. She didn’t wait, pressing Eli against the wall in the living area as soon as they were downstairs. Eli was just as feverish as she was. She had her hand in Eli’s shirt, fingers against her breast as she trailed kisses up and down her neck.

  Eli’s voice broke through her silence. “W-when did you get here?”

  “Just now.” Sarah nipped at Eli’s chin. “What do you want me to do?”

  Whimpering, Eli drew in a sharp breath. “God, anything.”

  Sarah didn’t hesitate. She pushed aside the two halves of Eli’s shirt and feasted on the exposed skin, sucking the soft skin between her lips and scraping with her teeth to leave marks. She wanted everything Eli was willing to give her, and she wanted to give everything in return.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Stopping, Sarah pulled back a little. “You said I could come.”

  “I did, I know, but I just didn’t expect you.”

  “I have thirty-four hours. Then I have to go back.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Got a concert.” Sarah’s chest heaved, and she wanted to know when she was going to be plastered against Eli again. She couldn’t get enough of her. “I’ll go make nice to your guests in a minute.”

  “Forget about them.”

  Sarah laughed. “Bedroom?”

  “Yes.” Eli led the way, stripping her clothes as she went. Taking the hint, Sarah followed suit and by the time they got to Eli’s bed, they were nearly naked. They dropped everything, Sarah climbing over Eli’s body as she once again feasted on her skin, on her moans, on every move she made.

  Sarah’s hand moved first, sliding against Eli in what she knew was the best pattern for the quickest release. She swirled the tip of her tongue against her nipple before drawing it all the way into her mouth. Eli gripped her hips tightly, holding on as her body shook with pleasure. Sarah’s chest pulled tight as she moved her mouth back toward Eli’s neck.

  “Please tell me, love, that you touched yourself while thinking about me.”

  Eli’s breath hitched. “Yes.”

  Sarah rewarded her with a gentle kiss to her lips. “I thought of you, too. Two months is far too long.”

  A cry ripped from Eli’s lips, and Sarah swallowed it up as she continued to bring her higher and higher. Finally, Eli tightened around her. Sarah eased up on the amount of pressure, on the speed of the sweep of her thumb. When Eli had her brains back together, she grinned up at Sarah and let out a laugh, the sound echoing in the tiny bedroom.

  “Jesus, Sarah. You’re ridiculous.”

  “Sorry?”

  “You show up in my house and fuck me senseless in two seconds flat.”

  Sarah smirked. “Did you just say fuck?”

  “Yeah. You must be rubbing off on me.”

  “Rubbing on you is more like it. Come on, up.” Sarah patted Eli’s leg. Once Eli had obliged, Sarah positioned herself perfectly so they would move against each other. She wasn’t going to need much, and she hoped Eli wouldn’t either because she really wanted to fall over that edge together or at least decently close.

  Eli couldn’t form an answer as Sarah immediately rutted her hips, starting slow then picking up speed as her own pleasure coursed through her. She grunted, holding herself up by her fists into the mattress, trying her hardest to keep upright and hold off her own orgasm until Eli came again. Crashing their mouths together, Sarah palmed Eli’s breast, squeezing and rolling a nipple between her fingertips.

  Eli went first, and as soon as Sarah felt her tighten, she relaxed to let her body tumble over the edge. Breathing heavily, Sarah fell to her side and laughed as she pressed up into Eli’s warm body. “I think we should do that more often.”

  “Definitely.”

  Sarah kissed Eli’s cheek and turned her head slowly to kiss her lips. “I missed you.”

  Eli closed her eyes and pressed their foreheads together. “I wish you had told me you were coming. I could have warned you about the people staying here.”

  “It’s not a problem.”

  “But it is. You don’t want to be known.”

  “Eli, it’s not a problem. You have a business to run. I’m not going to monopolize your time and have you lose business. I mean, I want to take all the time you have for the next thirty-three hours, but I’ll take what I can get.” Sarah skimmed a hand down Eli’s side, finally resting it on her hip.

  “I wish you’d told me you were coming.”

  “Eli, you said I knew where the keys to the house were. You don’t have keys to the house.” She propped her head up on her hand, elbow planted firmly in the mattress. “If you don’t want me here, tell me and I’ll leave. Trust me, I can go right back, but I’d much rather be here.”

  “No, don’t go.”

  Sarah flopped onto her back. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong.” Eli twisted, sliding her leg over Sarah’s. “Nothing at all. I just wish I’d known you were coming, so I could rearrange some things and take some time off, have someone else do some of my chores.”

  “I want to make something very clear.” Sarah stared at the ceiling, knowing she had to say it, but not quite sure what words to use. In some ways, she wished she could sing it to Eli, but songs and lyrics weren’t always the best way to communicate.

  Eli rested her head on Sarah’s shoulder and traced random designs on her belly. “What is it?”

  “I’m not here for a quickie. I want more from this. I want you.”

  “You have me.”

  “No, I mean, I want a relationship.”

  Eli tensed. Sarah had known, somewhere in the back of her mind, that this was not going to be an easy conversation, that the struggle of Sarah being gone well over half the time was going to be a big stumbling block. Hell, it had been in every relationship she’d had in the past fifteen years, but she had never wanted to be near someone like she did Eli. She’d never wanted to sacrifice to be with someone like she did with Eli.

  “Please don’t—don’t do that.”

  “Do what?” Eli’s tone had a bite to it.

  Gnawing on her lip, Sarah sat up on the bed and rubbed her hands together. She should have called Kara first and asked her what the hell she was supposed to say so she wasn’t at such a loss for words. “Don’t turn away from me.”

  She wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her chin on them. Eli stared at her from the bed, her braids still nearly perfect and flung out to each side of her. Any time they’d had sex before, Sarah had taken them out, but she hadn’t even thought about it this time. All she could do was get her hands on Eli, let her know how much she was wanted.

  “I want a relationship. I will come here more often. I promise. It might be quick trips like this, which is going to be incredibly hard, but I want to make this work, Eli.” Tears swam in the corners of her eyes as fear and nerves reared their ugly heads in her stomach and in her chest. She didn’t know what she would do if Eli said no. She didn’t know what would happen if she was turned away.

  Sarah held her breath as she waited for an answer, or any kind of response. When she got none, she shoved off the bed and grabbed the clothes she had in the room before stalking out to the living area to collect the rest of them. She had her pants on and was tugging her shirt over her head, her bra somewhere she couldn’t find when Eli emerged from the room, a throw blanket wrapped around her.

  “I don’t see how it would work,” her voice was so soft.

  Sarah let out a painful grunt as she scrounged around. “So what were all that texting and calls then? We’ve been talking for weeks now. I haven’t seen you in months, and you tell me to come here. You tell me to show up and that I’ll be welcome.”